Time machine

I like contradictions, that’s why this morning was so interesting for me. My friend asked me to go with him to a clinic for an MRI test. We were surprised that there is such a machine in a clinic which is behind the administration building of steel mill. People think that the glory of the clinic, as well as the steel mill, ended many years ago, but the doorkeeper was not surprised when we asked about the MRI. He directed us to a lift, the same sort as in a block of flats of my aunt twenty years ago (a real technological museum piece). We were informed that we had to go to a basement. And you know? In the basement there was indeed an MRI machine! The lift was like a time machine leading to better world: MRI, nice staff, no queue and no delay. And my friend is OK. Maybe not healthy, but it is definitely not very serious.

thanks to renovations...

A few months ago, when an Englishman organizing a meeting had asked me what we would like to see, I answered: the Rossylyn Chapel. It was just after reading the book by Dan Brown so I knew that it was close to Edinburgh (we had planned to go there). I didn’t know any other interesting places, so my choice was not very well thought out. The Englishman was surprised, but he did what I had wanted, and he took us to the Chapel full of “searchers” of the Holy Grail. The Chapel was amazing. It was decorated by sculptures looking like lace. I remember for example death dances done on one of the ribs of vault. Thanks to renovations which are in progress now, we could climb up the scaffolding and see the pinnacles and flying buttress. I had never expected that it could be possible for me to see them.

Hadrian's wall

I’m a lucky person this month: I’ve seen a lot of ancient Roman ruins. Three weeks ago I was in Pafos where I could see ancient mosaics. Last week I was in Scotland where, remaining roman wall and fortifications are preserved. Romans soldiers probably suffered very much from the weather there… I was exhausted by the wind, even though the Sun was shining, temperature was quite high and there was no rain (my English friend used to say: No rain? Wait a minute…). For no reason my attention was attracted by the remnants of a kind of floor heating: stones supporting the floor, between which hot air flowed. We went for a short walk on Hadrians wall. On the right there was a precipice (Scotland I suppose), on the left a meadow with thousands of sheep.

Flying Saucer

Last weekend I was in Katowice for a workshop. It is a very industrial city which does not any charm for me except for one place. It is a “Spodek” (flying saucer) – a concert hall, where I spent many evenings. I was for example there for the concerts of Cocteau Twins, The Cure and Genesis. A view of the “Spodek” on early Sunday morning made me recalled all those nice memories.